Saturday, October 25, 2008

In part One we had left the lady to enjoy the initial warmth of this city, so lets check on her and find out how comfortable the city has made her feel.

Oops, by the way I forgot to introduce her in the previous part (how rude!!…I know) so let's make up for that. She is Natasha (now guys stop drooling overthe name).

OK, now let me share the happenings of Natasha's life after we bade her good bye last time. Natasha just loved the place which she had found after days of struggle and spent the entire weekend enhancing its aesthetic value…an artist that she was….

A well placed black colour Bean bag was her favourite possession in the room. By the way did I mention that Natasha got a single room for herself and the room very well reflected her soul and identity after the redo; a space where she could be herself after the arduous hours of jostle with the outside domain.

Ahem Ahem.... don't worry I don't intend to turn this into any kind of a sermon…

After she settled down in her room, Natasha geared up for her first day in the new job. Her mind was thronged with an assortment of emotions…a li'l jittery thinking about her new role…a li'l excited about meeting new people…li'l bewildered thinking about coping with the language…with such thoughts on her mind Natasha slept off.

Her morning was welcomed with a loud bang on the main door of the flat. She tried ignoring it but dear that morning sleep is to people, nobody bothered to get up. So our lady pulled herself out of the bed and prodded towards the living room to open the door. She rubbed her eyes twice, thrice but couldn't find anyone on the door… ”I must be too sleepy” Natasha thought in her mind, but despite her continuous rubbing of eyes she couldn't see anyone outside the door.

"How strange and irritating people could be early morning" Natasha blurted out in irritation and tried pushing the door to close it. While doing so she looked at the floor and saw a hot case kept over a steel utensil right outside.

"Now what the hell is this?" She bent down to check the stuff inside. When she opened it she found Idlis and Sambhar in the utensils and after reeling in confusion for few minutes, it struck her that this could the breakfast for the morning.

"Is this how we get breakfast every morning?" a still skeptical Natasha asked one of her roommate who had also gotten up by then.

"Yeah every morning...and the best part is we don't even know if this is fresh for us or it has been tasted by dogs roaming around" Natasha shuddered at this comment of her roommate so much so that she immediately made up her mind to skip her breakfast…forever!!

Pushing this thought out of her head, Natasha got ready for the office and stepped out of her PG.

First day in the office appeared pleasant to Natasha until lunch time, when she was told that the office does not have a cafeteria for lunch. So like a falling deck of cards her ideate of a classy cafeteria in an IT company of Bangalore came tumbling down….psst psst…poor girl had to bear the trauma of No Cafeteria and No Conveyance in her company on the very first day itself..

No Conveyance…How did she travel to her office then? Well, she so much did not wish to stand at arm pit distance to anyone, that she preferred to enjoy the insanely bumpy rides of auto rather then commuting by BMTC a.k.a., public buses of Namma Bengaluru.

Little did she know that she would be mustering such amusing experiences in her routine travel by auto.

While one day an autowala shared a joke with her in the morning with a concern that after she goes to the office she would be all sucked up in the work, the other day an autowala gave her a long discourse on how important is to stand by the love of your life….of course this entire preaching was based on his autobiography! Not quite far behind was an autowala who took Natasha by surprise when he exhibited his up-to-date stock market knowledge despite his feeble financial health…and to spice-up this concoction was the autowala who said that he was a chef (!!) in a five star hotel in Mumbai and earned around 30k pm… (Whoever said education was important to mint money should be hiding somewhere now). It's a different story that he quit due to his silly mistakes but now was rearing to setup his own catering business. Completely inspiring dude !!

Our lady has come a long way since her inaugural adventure in the city…from initial irritation to getting used to the anecdotes…. Natasha has now learnt to enjoy this city and often feels nostalgic, about every single thing, on days when she is away from this chaotic and harebrained comfort of the people and the place, of soon to be named PG Valley!!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Heavy traffic, maddening rush, unpredictable rain, incomprehensible language….phewww!!!...Just a few of the things that irritate a person, who steps in this much hyped city, tendering dreams of a luxurious life. Dreams do get fulfilled in due course of time, but in this mad rat-race our newly turned bangalorean jostles through numerous doses of daily tortures.Along with playing home for IT giants of the country aka Silicon Valley, Bangalore is also hosting thousands of North Indians and would soon earn the name PG Valley in the near future!

(Interestingly, a person who does not belong to either of the elite States – Karnataka, Kerela, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is comfortably branded as North Indian. Either West and East directions are not very appealing to them or they choose to be oblivious towards these directions. This mystery might need Sherlock Holmes' brilliance to get unfurled)

So even before our bangalorean gets to live the much puffed up glamour of the city, she gears up (of course forcefully) for the ordeal which awaits her while she plans to park herself in some cozy place.

To set the ball rolling our lady browses through the net and goes through all the ads for PGs and rented flats. The process is tiring as the ads are non descriptive, weird, funny and some even try to redefine the English language. She just didn't know what sense to make out of ads like "Decent PG for Decent girls"…now come on we didn't know that Bangaloreans are so smitten with the IT fever that they would have the know-how of differentiating between decent and indecent girls in one look itself!One ad was too generous in giving details like "PG accommodation for all kind of ladies" (????!!!!$$$$$)… Well hello…good morning, we didn't know as yet that ladies are also of different kinds. Some one was definitely donning the hat of Charles Darwin to discover the new class and sub-class for the fairer sex. Completing this trilogy was the ad, which read something like this "2BHK with extremely homely, safe, clean surrounding for ladies who are willing to share their bed" What on earth this person was thinking while posting this ad… and by the way did this person know that this could land him behind the bars for promoting trafficking !!!!..As a friend of mine keeps saying "Kalyug Kalyug" ....psstttt...Our lady some how jostled thru this journey and found a place of her liking in an area which was well connected to the city. A nice place to stay in this busy city sounds like a great start…. only if it could be…"Well begun is half done" did not hold true in this case though….So what happened next ????

….well, well, well….let us not steal the pleasure of initial warmth of this city from our lady…so while she enjoys her new abode lets take a break and peek somewhere else(he he he...impish thought :D)…stay tuned for more updates of our lady's spiced up life in the next part!!!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

“Staring at a pattern meant to evoke an optical illusion is usually an act of idle curiosity akin to palm reading or astrology.”The capability of our brain to retain the recent most images causes the human eye to create an overlap and continuity between disjoint images.A phenomenon well exploited by the media, world-wide!!!!

I often wonder if we see the world in which we live, or live the world which we see???????Or maybe we live in a world created by fewer people….fewer rich people…fewer rich powerful people……An illusion gets created day by day and we thrive on it like parasite lives on its host.

We feel lack of excitement in our lives when our daily dose of regular News fails to deliver a scoop, scam or scandal unfurling some ghastly murder, or betrayal of loyalty et al. Our minds have got programmed in such a fashion that in order to titillate it we have to expose it to the treacheries of the order of superlative degree.Amusing as it may appear, the paradigm emerging out of it is not encouraging.

“How much is too much” is a phrase commonly used to define “Etiquettes” by trainers in soft skills sessions; however I find its relevance in all walks of life.

My acquaintance with this particular girl who exhibits that the entire world is her best friend (and who also believes that the only thing invented by God for man to practice is friendship), is in complete contrast to this particular guy who prefers shrinking within his cocoon so much so that his presence is not felt even in a room of two people!!!...of course nature made us all different, but then these two people mentioned above seem to be taking it too seriously. Shouldn’t they be realizing that their disposition of too much of “friendliness” or “aloofness” is just not the way? Who would like over imposing bonhomie or cold waves from people around? ……At least not me.If you ask me what is the degree of affableness to strike a balance, then even I wouldn’t be able to tell you that. It’s something which we all learn since childhood from different people and situations around. So how much is too much is what each individual needs to realize by herself (or himself) after evaluating the person/situation which (s)he is in. Does it sound heavy and clichéd??? Impact of reading too much of Gyaan these days :-)

Another thing which reminds me of “How much…” phrase is the IdiotBox. With dedicated channels for News, music, movies, cartoons and so on, the idiot box seems to be doling out a little too much of entertainment to the people. Such commitment for entertainment by media was unheard couple of decades ago. But it’s all possible now. Thanks to the wheel of time. While one channel dishes out fresh murder and rape incidents spanning the length and breadth of the country, the other is absorbed in covering the important (??) issues like “Big B caught cold” or “Mr. Minister’s cat rescued” or “Mobile call causing death”. Now what I fail to understand here is that how a common man would be impacted by Mr. Bachchan’s cold, or Mr. Minister’s cat or Deadly mobile calls….. I’m still wondering…..

Well yeah, if entertainment is the sole purpose of these channels then hats off! They are perfectly on the track.

Minute-by-minute report on how the crime was committed or how the felon managed to escape gets administered to the people. Now this is where our mind creates continuity between the gaps. Our mind starts working upon the info provided and what it breathes is the ghastly act of crime. We become self-appointed sleuths and try unfolding the mystery behind the act. The satirical part was when one of my friend narrated a dream he had some days back….Nope dreaming wasn’t a satire but the cynosure of his dream….Aarushi was. So now who determines “how much is too much”? Do we really need information at such micro levels? Maybe this was bound to happen with the burgeoning trend of dedicated channels, with time being the malefactor here. Too much of time and no programs to air might have led the channels to stoop to such levels. Who cares?Overloaded with serious stuff…right…eh lets move to something lighter.

No matter what we pick – religion, politics, movies, work…all are infected with “how much….” syndrome. Religion and politics have assumed the hand-in-glove relationship. In absence of any real important issue, political parties have always relied upon religion. Now and before, they have cut their speeches to paint any issue in religion. Are they not able to hear the incessant screams of common man to shut their mouth? Being oblivious must be easier for the politicians than sealing their mouth.Serials and films aren’t too far either. Reality shows have a cut throat competition with each other. While one set of shows would give champions in singing, dancing, laughing (and God knows what all), the other set of shows picks the champions from all these arenas and pits them against each other to come out with a new Championa ka Champion…..now can someone tell them to put a stop somewhere….if things continue to go this way very soon every contestant would be able to boast of being a champion in some show at least….!!!!If this wasn’t enough the daily soaps have their own characters who never get tired of scheming against each other and this becomes a perpetual chain…phew….!!!My mind can’t stop thinking of umpteen scenarios in our lives which are closely or remotely associated with “how much is too much” fever, but I better wind up the saga before I also get gripped by this highly contagious and obnoxious malady or am I already touched on ???

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Since last night I have been pondering over a statement made by one of my friend who also happens to be a very good writer…or should I say blogger… During our conversation about some other blogger (who happens to write so frequently that all other bloggers can well be put to shame), he said that it was important (and commendable too) for one's thoughts to flow smoothly and regularly.I couldn't disagree with him, but couldn't understand how does one manage to churn so many thoughts so frequently and with so much variation????

Not that I doubt the thinking capabilities of our fellow beings, but our conscience stands alibi to the quality of thinking our brain often indulges into. I bet none of us would ever want to pen down those thoughts especially in a public forum like web-logs (Some exceptions would still defy this and impose their filthy thoughts on the reading screens of blog lovers).

Anyway, let me not digress from the point of my amusement. Incessant flow of awe-inspiring thoughts and experiences……………

So while I was listening to my friend, I was also compelled to think why couldn't I churn out ideas in a well written piece of article, which could be read, enjoyed (and appreciated) by people? Suddenly a feeling of self consciousness dawned upon me and I began to doubt the capabilities of my brain and its productivity. A single look at my blog made me realize how frequently (??) I have been able to flirt with my thoughts and tweak them for satiating the writer in me. Trust me there isn't anything to boast about.

After I had denigrated myself enough I realized that it was time for me to provide some panacea for my bruised soul. I picked up my laptop and sat down to generate some thoughts which could be worth reading. I thought of recollecting some moments from my childhood and weaving a nice article around it, but all my brain could think was the endless morning assemblies, grilling PT sessions, unfathomable physics classes and the inability to bunk classes….. Alas too many things on list which did not deserve any mention anywhere….. So I traveled a little further in my life and took a halt at my college days.

College…the name itself tinkers the nostalgic chord of the brain. Four years of fun, four years of friendship, four years of love-hate relationships and a lot more. Some incidents and some people get so deeply embedded in your memory that sharing my feelings about them might not do any justice, now or later. Those four years have etched quite a few memorable reminiscences, which would always pull me back to my yore days even when I turn 60!Post College, these four years have been filled with plenty of ups and down, but I fail to recollect anything which could help the writer in me to sit up and take notice. Yes despite this I consider my life happening.

Phew……. Half of the day has passed by and I couldn't think of anything interesting to write. Has my brain actually become defunct? Now I am beginning to feel a little scared. It does not please me in any fashion. Medically, defunct brain means that you are dead. But that's not possible I can still see, breathe, touch and feel. So that means all my senses are functioning properly. What is wrong then?Maybe I belong to specie found in abundance in the world. A specie which has many things to think and wonder about, but not many thoughts to share by belching it on the paper.I was unnecessarily getting threatened by the specie (mentioned earlier in this blog) who think and churn out historical write-ups. I have realized that my brain can process only few thoughts and even fewer of them could be shared. So all those who are and might read this blog (I hope at least this blog gets read once, apart from my reading) do not get worried if your brain doesn't think and write frequently.

Not writing is definitely preferred over writing nonsense, after all haven't we heard the song from Pink Floyd "Because you are everything, The only thing that matters…….."I prefer it this way "Keep talking,The only thing that matters is your thinking…not writing……."

Saturday, February 2, 2008

There are moments in our life when paradox abodes with unreserved determination; a determination which envelops everything else around you, including your ability and willingness to think.

… Sometimes you just feel like being in the moment, and living it thoroughly; even though it might last only for a second. Yes, it might be sinful, but don’t you experience a high never felt before (at least not in a long time). It has been very aptly quoted by someone that all good things in life are either fattening, tempting or sinful! Quite a few things in life makes me believe this saying. Perhaps if you take an honest look at your own life, you would also agree with this saying and me.

How difficult is it to refrain oneself from such lures? This definitely varies from individual to individual, but I am sure that none would find it easy to do so.Sometimes you feel like moving away from the clear demarcations of what is right and wrong and just listen to the innermost desire of your heart. A moment when your heart urges you to break away from the stillness setup in your life and get indulged with a thing which could re-ignite the newness and give you a feeling of supreme connection.

Yes, there are such moments in our life and trust me folks accepting it makes life somewhat less ambiguous. You might feel torn between the dogmas of ethics knitted by people for ages now, but the choice is yours. Decisions are seldom wrong; their executions are frequently.

Being humans, maybe we could avail ourselves with the prerogative of erring sometimes. Who knows, perhaps an erring might set your soul on a path of happiness.

Aren’t we supposed to do things which would keep us happy (being selfish at times might just do the trick for us)? Sometimes it’s necessary to take a chance and experience that something sinful and live your life at least for that moment. It might be worth!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Time stands alibi that since ages mankind has exploited the female form for bringing alive the erotic fantasies burgeoning in their mind. This phenomenon has transcended boundaries and formed a sort of a universal law which has made Sexuality a prerogative of women world-wide. Guess this is where the first seed of gender bias was planted!!

Unlike Newton's law, this law has changed tremendously over a period of time. From being an inspiration in arousing the carnal desires in men, female sexuality is exploited in modern world for purposes, which are manifold. Ranging from shampoos to shoes, from after shave lotion to itch guard, from bicycles to cars…you name it and the product (no matter how useless it is) gets sold riding on the power of female sexuality.[This has been proved by the market researchers, so stop rubbishing this statement.]

You might be wondering why I am taking about women when the topic of my article says Men. Well, I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the vastness of this highly overrated parameter.

So, now if we see sexuality in the light of above mentioned facts, we can find a clear paradigm emerging out. Men are conspicuous in this entire picture by their absence!! Whoever said that the anatomy of a man is not attractive enough to relate it to sexuality was right then, but not anymore. Men have mushroomed on this surface with panache and swept the glamour world gradually. Could the life of normal man be left untouched by this? Trends say, NO! From various beauty pageants to films, all are exploiting this newly found charisma of men (or should we say, sexual quotient).The benefits definitely are reaped by both - them and us. They get all the money, adulation and fame in a capsule. No guesses on what we (females) get…..Isn’t it too obvious ;)

One character who has been a lead man in showing men in different color is of course our SRK. After all had you ever seen a man in beauty soap’s advertisement? He defied all preset customs and raised the bar for men by indulging into a relaxing bath in a bathtub filled with rose petals. Now that’s not what Adam’s ilk would like to display in public. Not then. Times have changed and so has the total perception of men. With SRK doing an item number in his recent flick, male sexuality has reached a new point. We had seen men flaunting their bodies in the past, but none had showed it in a manner which was being done only for Mallaika, Mallika, Koina and bunch of other item girls.These girls now surely would have to compete with their male counterparts in capturing the sensuous imaginations of people.

Perhaps, the changing times have shown that even women have carnal desires which need as much attention as does men’s. It’s time for role reversal now. Men need to be an object for satiating the amorous fantasies of women. Truly speaking this phenomenon is not entirely new. Men have been keeping the attention of women in the past in a not-so acceptable form called “Gigolos” or male escorts. The naïve readers can understand this term as comparable with “Prostitutes”.

This is not to denigrate the sexuality of either genders, but just to show that like men, women also have desires, which for ages were considered a taboo. With the intermixing of cultures and increasing acceptability of trends of the other hemisphere, society is changing is its outlook towards women. Whether this is a media created trend or an actual emancipation of women libido, one thing which comes out clear is the jubilation of fair sex.

While it may take some time for men to reach the height already scaled by women, for now we can sit back and enjoy some steamy looks (and acts) by them.

I am prompted to write this article, after going through plethora of opinions posted by different users on different issues, and a common paradigm emerging out of it is the "bitterness" in their opinions. Of course, this excludes the group which expresses its fury over genuine issues.

Sometimes I wonder what makes this handful of people to turn acrimonious without actually anything happening against their world. Well, the answer could be manifold, but the consequence is definitely not pleasant. Such defensive attitude gives a glimpse of their poor confidence level, or the compulsive desire to get noticed by the world or to belch hatred and harshness to revenge for the improper treatment meted out to them in childhood. What they need is a sound support and counseling to remedify the fear gripping their mind.

Recent screening of movie Taare Zameen Par also highlighted a similar cause. These people need someone who can understand them and appreciate their concerns and fears.

However, for those of you who indulge in such pen lashing should remember that life is a reflection of one’s own deeds. So beware and watch out. Your pen lashings are soon going to back fire upon you!